your autograph? You’ve probably earned more buckles than any cowboy in the history of the rodeo!”
When he blushed, Cammi’s heart skipped a beat. “Tell me all about it,” she said, sipping her tea.
She loved the deep, gravelly sound of his voice, the way his left brow rose now and then, and the way only one side of his mouth turned up with each grin. His green eyes flashed when he talked about the competitions, darkened when he spoke of the shoulder injury that ended his career, dulled when he told her about his friend Billy’s terminal illness.
“We’re heading to Fort Worth later today,” he said in conclusion, “to see if this specialist has a miracle cure.”
“I’ll pray for him,” Cammi said. “And for a safe trip there and back, too.”
She didn’t understand why, but suddenly he seemed angry. Had she said something wrong?
Suddenly, pain like none she’d experienced sliced through her midsection. Biting her lower lip, she grimaced.
He was on his feet and beside her in a heartbeat. “What’s the matter?”
Try as she might, Cammi couldn’t find her voice. Squinting her eyes shut, she gripped her stomach and prayed, Not the baby, Lord. Please don’t let it be the baby.
Reid slid into the booth beside her, draped an arm over her shoulders. “Is there anything I can do to hel—” He leaned back, eyes focused on the red vinyl seat. “Cammi,” he said slowly, deliberately, quietly, “you’re…you’re bleeding.”
Cammi looked down as tears filled her eyes. “Oh, no,” she whispered, “no….”
“Georgia,” Reid bellowed, scooping Cammi up in his powerful arms, “call the emergency room. Tell them we’re on the way!”
Ordinarily, the feisty older woman would have balked at being ordered about that way. But one look at Cammi, and Georgia nodded. “You bet,” she said, grabbing the phone.
“By the time an ambulance could get here,” he told Cammi, backing out the door, “we’ll be halfway to the hospital.”
Somehow, he managed to get the pickup truck’s passenger door opened with one hand, then gently deposited her inside. “Don’t look so scared, pretty lady,” he said, buckling her seat belt, “everything will be all right.”
Leaning against the headrest, she closed her eyes. Stay calm, she told herself. Steady breaths, take it easy…because the Father is with you….
Reid turned on the headlights and the hazard lights and put the truck in gear. “It’ll be all right,” he said again as the tires squealed onto the road.
“I hope so,” she admitted. But already, she’d bledanother puddle on the truck’s bench seat. “Miscarriage,” she sighed.
Reid reached across the seat to squeeze her hand. “Keep a good thought, okay?”
Tears streamed down her cheeks. “Pray, Reid,” she managed to say. “Please, pray for me…”
Chapter Four
I f he thought for a minute it would do a lick of good, Reid would ask the Good Lord to halt all the other traffic between here and the hospital. Would ask to be delivered directly to the emergency room.
The childish wish quickly faded when he took a look at Cammi and saw her lovely face contorted with pain and fear. He couldn’t even put his arms around her, hold her close and promise to stave off anything and everything that might harm her…not if he wanted to get her safely to the E.R. as fast as humanly possible.
Reid patted her hand, feeling like an idiot each time he repeated “Don’t worry” and “It’ll be all right.” She needed solid support, not empty assurances. If he had the power, he’d move heaven and earth to spare her this torment.
Anger made him squeeze the steering wheel tighter. He didn’t have that kind of power, but God did. Didn’t the Good Book say “Ask and ye shall receive”? Cammi had asked, no, pleaded was more like it, for Him to spare her baby. Yet, as the seconds turned into minutes and the minutes steadily mounted, she grew paler and weaker…and still her precious
When he blushed, Cammi’s heart skipped a beat. “Tell me all about it,” she said, sipping her tea.
She loved the deep, gravelly sound of his voice, the way his left brow rose now and then, and the way only one side of his mouth turned up with each grin. His green eyes flashed when he talked about the competitions, darkened when he spoke of the shoulder injury that ended his career, dulled when he told her about his friend Billy’s terminal illness.
“We’re heading to Fort Worth later today,” he said in conclusion, “to see if this specialist has a miracle cure.”
“I’ll pray for him,” Cammi said. “And for a safe trip there and back, too.”
She didn’t understand why, but suddenly he seemed angry. Had she said something wrong?
Suddenly, pain like none she’d experienced sliced through her midsection. Biting her lower lip, she grimaced.
He was on his feet and beside her in a heartbeat. “What’s the matter?”
Try as she might, Cammi couldn’t find her voice. Squinting her eyes shut, she gripped her stomach and prayed, Not the baby, Lord. Please don’t let it be the baby.
Reid slid into the booth beside her, draped an arm over her shoulders. “Is there anything I can do to hel—” He leaned back, eyes focused on the red vinyl seat. “Cammi,” he said slowly, deliberately, quietly, “you’re…you’re bleeding.”
Cammi looked down as tears filled her eyes. “Oh, no,” she whispered, “no….”
“Georgia,” Reid bellowed, scooping Cammi up in his powerful arms, “call the emergency room. Tell them we’re on the way!”
Ordinarily, the feisty older woman would have balked at being ordered about that way. But one look at Cammi, and Georgia nodded. “You bet,” she said, grabbing the phone.
“By the time an ambulance could get here,” he told Cammi, backing out the door, “we’ll be halfway to the hospital.”
Somehow, he managed to get the pickup truck’s passenger door opened with one hand, then gently deposited her inside. “Don’t look so scared, pretty lady,” he said, buckling her seat belt, “everything will be all right.”
Leaning against the headrest, she closed her eyes. Stay calm, she told herself. Steady breaths, take it easy…because the Father is with you….
Reid turned on the headlights and the hazard lights and put the truck in gear. “It’ll be all right,” he said again as the tires squealed onto the road.
“I hope so,” she admitted. But already, she’d bledanother puddle on the truck’s bench seat. “Miscarriage,” she sighed.
Reid reached across the seat to squeeze her hand. “Keep a good thought, okay?”
Tears streamed down her cheeks. “Pray, Reid,” she managed to say. “Please, pray for me…”
Chapter Four
I f he thought for a minute it would do a lick of good, Reid would ask the Good Lord to halt all the other traffic between here and the hospital. Would ask to be delivered directly to the emergency room.
The childish wish quickly faded when he took a look at Cammi and saw her lovely face contorted with pain and fear. He couldn’t even put his arms around her, hold her close and promise to stave off anything and everything that might harm her…not if he wanted to get her safely to the E.R. as fast as humanly possible.
Reid patted her hand, feeling like an idiot each time he repeated “Don’t worry” and “It’ll be all right.” She needed solid support, not empty assurances. If he had the power, he’d move heaven and earth to spare her this torment.
Anger made him squeeze the steering wheel tighter. He didn’t have that kind of power, but God did. Didn’t the Good Book say “Ask and ye shall receive”? Cammi had asked, no, pleaded was more like it, for Him to spare her baby. Yet, as the seconds turned into minutes and the minutes steadily mounted, she grew paler and weaker…and still her precious
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